


In Your Eyes (Arthur Morgan x Original Female Character)

by arthursgurl



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Romance, Western, Young Dutch van der Linde
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:15:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthursgurl/pseuds/arthursgurl
Summary: It’s not easy to live a normal life in the late 1870s. Among bandits, government forces and society people, it’s not simple to figure out in wich category you belong. America  has slowly started to change, almost wiping out all of the remaining outlaws roaming around the midwest. But some of the gangs are still standing.Lilianne Walton is only twelve years old, when an unfortunate event changes her and her two siblings lives forever. They are now standing in the middle of two completely separate worlds, when someone takes them under their wing. They’re introduced to a life they’ve never experienced before, and they’re all taught how to protect, heal and survive out in the wilderness. Among other things.They’re suddenly seeing the world from a different perspective.Lilianne knows nothing about being an outlaw but, doing it for the sake of loyalty and faith makes it less difficult. Not to mention when she meets Arthur Morgan, an unruly boy in her age, with twice as much knowledge and strength. But are outlaws really that intimidating underneath the surface? Arthur may be a bit rough around the edges but something with him catches her attention way more often than she intends to.
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston, Annabelle/Dutch van der Linde, Arthur Morgan / Lilianne Walton, Bessie Matthews/Hosea Matthews, Mary Gillis Linton/Arthur Morgan, Molly O'Shea/Dutch van der Linde
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Note: The world and characters of red dead redemption belongs to the original creators, this is a fanfiction, meaning imagination might bring changes to the story at some parts.

_7th January 1876_

The gunshots rang out loud and clear through the cold winter night. The thieves disappeared out in the darkness, out of sight. People appeared, coming to rescue,but it was already too late. Rose and Daniel Walton were gone. They had three children. But they were nowhere to be found. Days passed by, and everybody assumed the worst, that those children were gone, kidnapped or worse, by those bandits. But little did they know, there were one teenage boy, a teenage girl and a slightly younger girl out in the house still. What they had witnessed put them into shock.

"Jennifer, I-I'm scared." The little girl held the older girl tightly to herself, sobbing quietly. She grabbed her little sister's shoulders, looking back at her intensely.

"Lilianne Marilyn Walton. We are gonna make our way outta here, we are gonna be safe together, nothing will ever threaten our family again, I promise you. Right, William?" Jennifer looked at her brother with her big, bright blue eyes.

"Yes. Of course. But we have to leave now, I won't risk it, I'm not being put into an orphanage, Jen."

"But we need time! We need a plan. We can't just walk out there, we'll die of starvation, or worse, mauled by some goddamn predators." Jennifer said. William sighed and shaked his head at his sister.

"No we won't. We both know how to use a gun, we can hunt for ourselves."

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! Ma and Pa just got killed by a bunch of criminals, and you think this is the time for leaving? Out there, there's no protection. We've no cash, no provisions, no water, no fire."

"You go do what you want then. Have fun, rotting in this shithole. I'm not giving up because of this." William stepped out of their hideout on the loft. He climbed down the ladder, bold as he was, he eyed the corpses that still hadn't been moved by the authorities. He approached what had been his mother not many days ago. He knelt beside her, taking her lifeless hand in his.

"I'm sorry, mama. I'll do what's right, I will not surrender, like you once told me not to. I love you, and I miss you so much." The shield around him broke and he fell apart, crying his eyes out. That's when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"We're coming with you." Jennifer said quietly. William wiped his face and looked up at his sister.

"Thank you." He said and rose to his feet. Lilianne stood behind her older sister, looked at both her dead parents on the cabin's floor with disbelief.

"I want mum and dad to come back." She sniffed, hugging Jennifer again.

"They're gone, sweetheart. We have to let them go." She picked up Lilianne in her arms, stroking her cheek with gentle movements. She looked up at William.

"Grab anything that could be of use." She ordered.

The snowstorm was not gentle on their skins. The wind whipped their faces and their ears burned with pain.

"And you said we'd be fine out here." Jennifer nagged at William.

"You'd rather go back there, you mean?" They strode through deep snow at this point.

"I mean, yes. If I could get outta this damn snow, get something to eat, a nice warm bath, see someone's face except yours. I'd happily do it any day."

"Maybe, maybe if you stopped whining and tried to get through this like any decent human being with brains would, we'd actually find some sort of comfort in being in this together and being alive!" William snapped back.

"Oh you piece o'...!" Jennifer slapped William in the back of the head. "Don't you dare tell me I done nothing! Haven't I been the one to give you advice, haven't I been the one to care for Lily lately?" While her siblings argued, Lilianne walked silently behind them. She looked around her, admiring the untouched snow covering the trees and listening to the birds singing somewhere above them. She smiled at the thought of all the animals taking care of each other during this time, how they stocked up on food, built their homes to sleep through the wintertime. She remembered how her father would take her out in the woods, telling her about the different animal species and explaining the use of all herbs they found on the way. She may have been only twelve years old at this time, but she sure had an excellent memory. She remembers her mother's soft singing, how they would sing together at times.

She smiled at the memory of her, those sparkly, wise and warm brown eyes. And her father's bright blue ones. William and Jennifer sure took after their father. Lily was a mystery, she was the only one in the family with green eye color. She was also the palest and the only one with dark blonde hair. Daniel had black hair and Rose had light, almost enchanting blonde hair. Her father used to say Lily's hair was made while using witchcraft, because the strands shone like gold in sunlight. They passed by a sign, it said "Blackwater". Lily was never taught how to read, but signs were something she had a connection with, and she somehow understood them.

"There, see those trees? Might be good cover for tonight." Jennifer pointed towards a set of large trees standing by the side of the snow covered plains. They all agreed. They had some crackers packed so they weren't completely starving. But it sure weren't much to celebrate for when shared between three persons.

"Alright, get some sleep, both of you. There's a day tomorrow too, unfortunately.." Jennifer mumbled. They all fell asleep almost instantly that night.

Lily woke up with a jolt. She was sure she'd heard something. She looked over at her siblings, who were still sleeping deeply. She didn't want to wake them up, so she grabbed her father's rifle to go investigate the sound on her own. She thought she knew how to use it, she'd seen her father do it many times before. There it was again, a cracking noise. Lily walked deeper into the woods, following the sound's direction. She could almost hear distant voices talking. She continued while hiding behind thick trees. She was so close to see who the voices belonged to, when she felt a hand over her mouth, gripping her from behind. Her heart rate increased immediatly.

"And where do you think you're goin, my dear?" She heard a man's voice speak behind her.

"You know, it's rude to steal from people who do good." The voice continued on. She used all her strength to push the hand away, grabbed the rifle in a firm grip to place the end of the barrel towards the stranger's chest.

"I don't know who you are, Sir, but I won't hesitate to pull this trigger if you don't step away from me." To her surprise, the man backed off from her a few steps. He chuckled deeply.

"Now, now. Let's be reasonable about this." He lowered the gun by placing a hand on it. Lily allowed herself to lift her gaze from the ground and stood face to face with the man. He had black, mid-length hair, wich formed into soft curls at the end. His face was surprisingly nice and on top of his head sat a black hat. She met a pair of very dark brown eyes piercing down at her. His eyebrows were sharp, dark and well defined.

"You don't look very old, miss. Where are your parents?" He asked her.

"They're d... ...they're gone." She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"Ah.. I see.." He seemed thoughtful as he studied her face. "You weren't really goin to rob us, were you?" He said after a while.

"No, Sir. I- I just heard some noise and wanted to see where it came from. I never meant to intrude."

"Step back from our sister, you old creep, or I'll make sure to serve you for dinner!"

"But I'll cut off your balls first!" Jennifer shouted and her and William appeared behind the man. He chuckled again.

"Would you look at that, three young kids with a sharp tongue, how entertaining." He backed off a little bit more, scanning all of the faces.

"Now, I don't mean you no harm, but, you should really keep track on your sister, next time she might not be so lucky and run into someone else's camp." He smiled at the three confused kids.

"I'm Dutch Van der Linde." He introduced himself. The three siblings still looked confused but somehow they all took his hand and said their names as he offered it.

"So, now that you know I ain't no threat, how about telling me about what you're doing out here, hm?" They all looked at each other. There was a pause.

"O'driscolls." William said low. "They killed our Ma and Pa, we hid and got away, the authorities doesn't even know we survived."

"That so? I'm sorry that happened. O'driscolls are sneaky little bastards, we all know that." Dutch paused for a moment and eyed the kids.

"Have you got anything to eat?" Lily was about to tell her about the crackers, but William was quick to open his mouth.

"No, Mr. Van der Linde." He said.

"I can't believe it! You took the rest, didn't you?!" Jennifer glared at her brother.

"I'm sorry, but I was hungry!"

"We were supposed to share those, remember? It was the only provisions we had, you dumb, fat piece o' shit!" Lily sighed as she watched her siblings pick up on a new fight.

"Are they always like this?" Dutch asked her, also watching the two audibly arguing, they completely had forgotten that they were there.

"Yes. Always." Lily said. Dutch clapped his hands together.

"Alright, that's enough of you two. How about, I take you to my camp, you get something to eat and then we figure out what to do?" They all looked at Dutch with wide eyes, none of them really believing this stranger gave them such a kind offer. But of course, they all picked up on it.

"Good. Follow my lead." Dutch led them to a camp. "Miss. Grimshaw! Please, take these kids with you and warm them up a bit. Hosea! Can I have a word, please?" He turned to the kids. "You'll be just fine, don't worry." He smiled quickly before leaving them there. A woman approached them, she had a stern look on her face but when she saw them it softened and she gave them a mild nod.

"Alright. Follow me. Let's get you warm. Quickly now!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Hope you enjoyed this short little prologue, it was great fun to write, and I have a lot of ideas of how this story will play out later :) See you soon! <3


	2. Am I Damned?

_1st June 1878_

_It has been about two and half a year since me and my siblings joined the Van der Linde gang. As I'm writing this I'm fifteen years old. I've been thinking a lot over the years, wondered how this could feel like home so quickly. I mean, except the fact that Dutch saved us, and we've owed him everything since. Not that it's been said out loud, but, I know that William and Jennifer feel the same. They have been so very kind to us, but we haven't told them about everything that happened to us. And I don't feel the need to, anyway. Cause the past is the past. Nothing is going to change it, nothing is going to make any of us feel any better about it. We can only move on._

_The Van der Linde gang, consists of Dutch, Hosea, Susan, Bessie, Annabelle and Arthur. Arthur is about the same age as me, he doesn't talk much, but he seems very nice. Dutch saved him too, last year, but what had happened to him, hasn't been revealed yet. William is the oldest of the kids, he's now eighteen, and Jennifer is seventeen. So they're both quite bossy and annoying._

I stop writing for a moment, as my eyes lands on Arthur, who sits on a log a bit away from me, seems like he's writing away in his journal as well. I smile down foolishly towards the page I just wrote on before putting down my pen against the paper again.

_Despite not being the most talkative guy, Arthur Morgan sure catches people's attention anyway. He's very good looking for his age, he has dark blonde, quite thick hair, blue eyes with just a little hint of green, perfectly shaped, slightly chapped, plump lips and an overall nice body build. I can't deny that he sure does make my heart flutter a little bit sometimes. But that's a secret._

I close my journal and place it on my cot, before heading over to Dutch's tent. He's reading a book, not very unlike him. He looks up when he hears my spurs clinking sound.

"Ah, how's my favorite gal doing today?" He asks. I smile, Dutch can be so fatherly, he brings this kind of comfort sometimes, wich is really nice to have.

"Just fine, Dutch, thank you." I greet him.

"Was there something in particular on your mind, dear?"

"No, no. I, just wondered if there's anything I could do, I've been feeling a little fidgety lately."

"Hm." He looks over at Arthur who still hasn't moved from his spot. "Why don't you take Arthur with you to gather some supplies in Blackwater? I know Miss. Grimshaw would appreciate it." A quick blush hits my face but quickly fades and I clear my throat.

"O-okay, Dutch."

"Good. Now, no funny business, hm?" I know what he means by that. I nod.

"No, of course not, Dutch." He nods and continues with his reading. I swallow hard before making my way over to Arthur.

"Hey, Morgan." I greet him. He looks up at me quickly before returning his gaze down to his journal again.

"Uhm, hello, Miss Walton." He says.

"Wanna get some uh, supplies with me?" I ask. He seems to think for a moment, then he closes his journal.

"Sure. We're we goin?"

"Nothing exclusive. Blackwater." I say.

"Okay." He places his cowboy hat on top of his head. It's very nicely shaped and fits him perfectly.

"I'm just, gonna get the list from Miss. Grimshaw and then we can go?" He nods slightly. I head over to Susan who's currently in the middle of patching up one of Dutch's shirts.

"Hey, Miss Grimshaw. We're about to get some supplies in town, do you have a list we can follow?"

"Oh, how very kind of you. Yes, here it is." She hands me a list. I read through it. Just casual things, shouldn't be so hard to get.

"Thanks. See you later." I smile quickly, before returning to Arthur. He's already sat on his horse, Deniro. He sees my look.

"What, you thought I planned on walking the whole way?" He asks me. I blush slightly.

"N-no, s' fine I jus- I don't have a horse, you know." Arthur chuckles.

"Well, we have Deniro. He's a strong enough one. C'mon, jump on, I won't bite ye, I promise." I hesitate for a swift moment, before swinging myself up onto the stallion's back behind Arthur, gently holding onto his waist. It's really good that he can't see my face right now.

"You holdin on tight?" He asks.

"Yeah. Uh- I think so."

"Okay then. Good. Yer gonna need it. Hiya!" He kicks his horse's sides and immediately we're off in a breathtaking pace, leaving Thieves Landing far behind quickly. I have to readjust my position and lean into him further to not lose balance.

"You got a train to catch or somethin?" I call out. I can feel him laughing silently.

"Not that I know of, miss." He answers. We're galloping along the road, the dirt leaving a trail behind us. He does only slow down when we're close to Blackwater's church. I brush some of the hairs out of my face. To be honest I could let go of Arthur now but, a part of me really don't want to.

"Quite a ride.." I mumble to myself.

"M' sorry Miss, did you say somethin'?"

"No, it's nothing, Morgan."

"Okay then."

"And call me Lily, would you?" He chuckles heartily at that.

"Only if you stop callin me by my last name."

"Fine then. Arthur."

"Sounds more like it." There's a pause before he breaks it.

"But I kinda like sayin "Miss" Lily though, I like the sound of that. Rolls off the tongue easy."

"Just, shut up will you?" I giggle. We've reached Blackwater. It's a nice little town. It's small, but still overly populated. We pass a group of young ladies, wearing nice dresses, corsets, their hair is nicely done, their bodies look beautifully shaped.

"Can you imagine, wearing that day after day..." I mutter to myself.

"Can't say I do, never had the opportunity to be a lady I s'ppose." Arthur says. I roll my eyes at him, though he can't see it.

"No, really? I think you'd look absolutely stunning in one o' those." I joke.

"Might have to try it one day, then."

"I'd love that, I'd never make you forget about it."

"But only if you try my clothes first."

"Arthur! That's so gross, stop it!" I can't help but laugh. He joins me.

"We ain't never really talked much, have we?" He says.

"No, not really. But you're always so secretive and quiet with that journal o' yours, and running off doing "errands" for Dutch. I feel like I never gotten the chance to approach."

"Y tryna tell me y doin better? I always see you in camp, writing away in your journal as well, that mysterious grin on your face, too."

"I like to feel like life's worth something, it feels important to keep everything in that book. All the thoughts I have, things I see and experience. These memories, I wanna remember them, I want to remember everything, even the bad, when I grow old." I say. He listens to my words, his head turned slightly to the side.

"Well I, guess I don't have to tell ye why I ain't been so talkative then. Ain't much to celebrate for in my life." He goes silent.

"A lot has happened to your life since last year." I mumble softly. "You feelin alright?" He chuckles bitterly.

"Y mean if I miss home? Not really. My mama died when I was very young and my daddy, well, he died not too long ago, finally captured and paying for his crimes and stupidity over the years. I watched. And I don't regret it one bit."

"I'm sorry." I say. "No one so young is supposed to watch their relatives die." I pause. "You know, me, Jen and Will watched our parents die. Both shot to death by O'driscolls. Not like they hadn't had it coming for them, but still.. a sight like that is horrible to watch, and will never be forgotten. I was twelve at the time. The authorities couldn't find us, and we fled. Out in a snowstorm, in the middle of the night." I tell him. He listens to me all the time.

"Wouldn't it have been better if ye would of let them find you?" Arthur asks.

"And be put into an orphanage? Not in a million years. I'd be better off dying. Alone." I add.

"Alright, alright, ye got me there. I wouldn't want that neither. At least I'm, glad you found a place to call home."

"Me too, Arthur. Me too."

"Alright, let's get this done shall we?" He steers his horse towards the general store.

After this, Arthur and I started to spend more time together. Sometimes we would sit down by the water, just for the piece and quiet. We'd both be caught up in our own world, writing or drawing. But it wasn't the talking that we needed, just the company. Other days we'd be strolling around in the forest, I'd tell him stuff about plants and such. In the dark we could lie under the stars, watching the constellations, no matter what the weather was.

This day however is extremely hot, I lean against the big tree on the opposite side of Arthur.

"Hey, Arthur." I say from my side of the tree. He hums in response.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored, and I'm sweaty and gross." He chuckles.

"Go for a swim then." He suggests. I think for a moment, before I stand up. I walk over to Arthur, he looks up at me from under the brim of his hat.

"What?"

"C'mon." I offer him a hand.

"No no no. Don't wanna be of any trouble." He waves me off. I roll my eyes.

"You won't be. What are you afraid of, cowboy? Me seeing you without a shirt on? I done that many times when you been chopping wood, Arthur." Lilianne can't see the red shade flushing across the young man's face.

"I ain't- I mean y-" He clears his throat. "Fine." He allows me to drag him up from the grass. He's quick to release my hand though. I don't hesitate for a moment, before throwing my clothes off except for the undergarments. I jump into the lake, letting the cold water hug my body tightly.I dive to come back up again, wiping away the water dropping from my face.

"What you waitin for?" I call out to Arthur, who's still standing alongside the shoreline. He studies me for a moment, then he unbuttons his shirt, I turn around to give him some privacy. I focus on splashing my face.

"Damn, s' cold..!" I hear him mutter somewhere behind. I turn around, to see him wading towards me.

"Didn't know you were quite so yellow, Arthur." I say. He lifts his gaze up to me. Once again looking back for a moment, before speaking.

"Didn't know y' were, eh, quite so suicidal." He shoots back as he approaches me.

"Come on, Arthur, it _ain't_ that cold." I splash some water onto him. He yelps, making me laugh. I'd never expected such a sound to come out of his mouth.

"Shit..! You think it's funny, huh?" He goes even closer to me, a cold look in his eyes. Some folk might've been intimidated by that look, but not me. I stand my ground, looking back, never breaking eye contact, until he stands right in front of me. This up close, his eyes sparkle differently, it's at a point where the sun shines right into them, the green-bluish color really is prominent in this type of light. I catch myself staring into them for a tad bit too long once I realise how close he is. I quickly look away, a rush of electricity going through me. I think Arthur notices this, one of his cheeky smiles settles onto his face.

"Didn't know I had such an impact on you, Lilianne." He teases. "Maybe s' about the lack of clothes after all."

"Huh? N-no it's not-" I begin. He chuckles. He sees this as an opportunity to grab me by my thighs and throw me over his shoulder. I make out a shrieking sound.

"Arthur, no! Put me down, damnit...!"

"Oh I'll put you down alright." He chuckles, then he adjusts his grip, holding me in place in his arms for a moment before releasing, I fall down into the lake with a splash.

"You bastard!" I call out. "Why'd you do that?"

"Well, we even now then?" He asks.

"Not even close, c'mere, cowpoke!" I try my best to chase him, wich is not very easy when he is a lot stronger and muscular, he dives through the water like a torpedo, only to appear many metres away. I sigh of the exhaustion rushing through me.

"Damn you then!" I call out to him.

"I'm already damned, Lily. S'ppose that's all I am." He mutters the last bit. I swim towards him, this time he does not escape.

"You're not damned. You're unlucky but you ain't damned, Arthur."

"No, I really am. You know what kinds of jobs Dutch sends me on? You know what kinds of things he trusts me with?" I nod.

"I get what you mean but, we both know, it's for a good cause we rob. It ain't no pleasure to ourselves but the ones in need. Dutch sees people, you know it as well as I do, Arthur. You can't blame him for having some sympathy."

"I don't blame him, I blame myself. Cause I'm a fool for all I know."

"You know, I think you should open up them beautiful eyes of yours for a bit, and see yourself. I been here longer than you, still you're his favorite, always has been. He treats you like a real son, haven't you noticed?" I meet his gaze, his cheeks slightly pink.

"Nah, y' only sayin what you think I wanna hear."

"I really ain't. I'm telling you nothin but the truth here." I give him a pat on the shoulder. "One day, you'll see I'm right." I say, before heading towards the shoreline.

"Hey! Can I just, ask you a question real quick?" He calls out after me. I turn around, the water now reaching under my chest, exposing my soaked, white chemise. I quickly cover up myself with my hands.

"Yea?" I call out back.

"Y' really think my eyes are beautiful?" He asks. I swallow. Oh shit, why in the hell did I even say anything at all... I blush heavily, but he wouldn't be able to notice anyway.

"Why, maybe I do." I answer softly, before heading back for land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :)) Hope you enjoyed this random chapter, kinda hard to decide where to jump in when creating a story but, hope it was okay xD See you soon <3


	3. You Ain’t Alone

"Arthur, miss Lilianne, may I, have a word with you both for a short bit?" I let go of the cup of coffee in my hands, another failed attempt to like it. Thankful, I set it aside, raising from the table and heading towards Dutch's tent. Arthur's already there, back facing towards me.

"Yes, Dutch?" I hook my thumbs into the gun belt around my waist. To my amusement I can see that Arthur's done the same to my right.

"Now, I know, you two have been getting along well together lately, so I thought, maybe it's about time to test your capabilities on a real job." My eyes are wide as I meet Dutch's gaze. I can't believe he's letting me go on duty.

"That's outta the book, Dutch. You're not letting her out like that." Jennifer's voice comes up behind me, before I even have a chance to speak. Dutch's eyes drifts to her.

"Why not? She's more than sensible, she _has_ a good way of thinking. It's a new, young soul with new abilities. We _need_ all we've got. I don't see what other choice we have. Everybody needs to pull a straw around here, if they _can_ , that is." His eyes leaves Jennifer and wander back to me again.

"And she can." He finishes. The frown upon Jennifer's face is unmistakable.

"No. You outta your damn mind?! Reconsider this, Dutch. Please, I insist." Dutch's eyes narrows slightly.

"Insist? _Insist_? Now now, hold your horses there, Miss Jennifer. I don't remember seeing you doing anything to contribute. More than patching some rags up, that is. Oh, and don't forget the lover boy." His eyes goes straight into hers.

"Don't drag Albie into this!" She spits. Dutch chuckles. Arthur and I watch in silence, we exchange a look of amusement. She may be my sister but she's a pain in the ass when she just hangs around camp.

"Oh, so he's got a _pet name_ now? How endearing... Why don't you do us all a favor and sneak back to him now? Or maybe that was planned for tonight _when no one is looking_." I bite back a chuckle, she is not very good at hiding Albert from the rest. She'd told me about him, of course she has, about how smitten they were with each other, how perfect he was, how he seemed to be a good man, better than any of those around. Jennifer turns red of anger.

"Albert is better than any of you will ever be! You rob, you murder in cold blood..."

"No, we help those in need. One day you'll understand that. Now if you excuse me, I have some things to attend to."

"You...! I wont even bother!" She stomps off angrily.

"Look at her, selfish as a first class society lady." Dutch shakes his head and turns to me and Arthur.

"Now, about that job. I heard there's a stagecoach coming down from up north. Doing a stop at Manzanita Post tomorrow, at dawn. British folk, I believe. These people, _fine people_ I mean, are apparently in the horse breeding business. God knows how much cash could be stashed away.. Should be easy enough, I'm sure you two will figure something out. Now, you think you're up for something like this?" He studies me. I nod.

"Yes, Dutch. Whatever you say, you know I got your back." He smiles.

"Good. I'd say get yourself a camp ready, load up on ammunition if needed. You know where it is, just take it, but, remember, we _don't kill in savagery_." He looks at Arthur as he says this. Who puts his hands up slightly in front of himself.

"No need to target me here, Dutch, I'm just _defendin_ myself, nothin more, nothin less."

"Sure hope so, son. Alright, now, get outta here, and, good luck. To both of you." He nods us off and returns to his tent. An exciting but nervous feeling spreads inside of me. My first job.. Am I going to be a real outlaw after this? Arthur turns to me, a little awkwardly, he clears his throat.

"So, uhm, I'll better go and get Deniro ready, I suppose." I nod slightly.

"Yeah, I, I'll be there in a minute." I say, he nods and we part ways. I hurry up to gather the essentials, some pieces of provisions, blankets, water, ammo, and of course, my journal. I look at father's Springfield rifle for a moment before picking it up. It was this gun that I threatened Dutch with those years ago, and it somehow convinced him to bring me into this life. I smile quickly before pulling the strap over my shoulder, I make my way over to Arthur, he looks a bit thoughtful where he's standing beside his horse, brushing him while having the free hand on Deniro's back.

"You okay, Arthur?" I ask. His gaze lifts a little but he doesn't turn it to me.

"Me? Sure, f'course, why wouldn't I be?

"Well I dunno, but, you just seem, kinda distant." He sighs. I have now approached him completely and he turns his head to meet my eyes with his.

"It's just, you know, when I do these things alone I don't think too much, I just... go at it." He withdraws his gaze when he utters the last bit.

"Arthur, I know I can defend myself if something goes outta hand. Don't worry." He chuckles bitterly and starts to saddle up.

"Shootin on some bottles ain't gonna compare to someone firing back at you, Lily. M' jus' worried bout something going wrong getting you injured." He pauses for a moment. "I guess I, uhm, take some responsibility in that now, to keep you safe." He finishes with the bridle. My chest feels warm from the way he said it like that. I start packing his saddle bags with the things I got.

"Let's set up camp first and start worrying tomorrow." I say. "Thanks for caring, Arthur, that means a lot." He smiles slightly before his face disappears under the brim of his hat.

"Sure. Let's get." He swings himself up into the saddle, this time I follow him instantly and wrap my arms lightly around his torso.As Deniro falls into a nice canter, I take the opportunity to talk.

"You ever robbed a stage before, cowboy?" I ask.

"One time, I did." He respond. "And I ain't no cowboy." I can't hold back the laugh that escapes my throat.

" _I ain’t no cowboy_." I repeat. "Look at you, Arthur. Half buttoned up shirts all day long, that old hat you always insist on carrying around everywhere, obsessed with guns and basically _glued_ onto the back of a horse." I snicker.

"What's wrong with this hat?" He asks, with played offense in his tone. He's pulling the reins in, slowing Deniro into a walk.

"Nothing, I think it looks rather good on you." I say. "Maybe a bit too big but, it gives you a certain charm." Now he's the one snickering.

"Charm? Me? This old thing? I doubt there are any sort o' charm about my dad's belongings.." He mutters.

"Your... _Is that your father's hat_?" Arthur nods but doesn't say anything. For a few moments at least.

"I know 's sorta odd and maybe even stupid but-"

"Not at all. I think it's sweet, that you kept it." I cut him off. He gives me an amused sideway glance.

"Well, that's another way to look at it. I always quite liked it."

"Well, I like it on you, Arthur."

"So what about your necklace? Suppose it's a family valuable?" I free one hand from Arthur's hips and it goes up to my neck, finding the little lily flower in red gold hanging from the fine silver chain. I play with it in between my fingers for a moment.

"My father gave it to me, when I turned ten. Said it'll give me good luck in life. Especially love, he said. He said red lillies symbolises love."

"Love? Well I reckon love's gonna come pretty cheap if you rely on a piece of jewelry." I blush slightly.

"I don't, but, it's a nice thought." I pause. "You ever been in love?" I ask. Arthur clears his throat.

"No I- No I ain't been. I don’t think so, but how would I know, don't even know what it feels like. And you?" I almost choke on my saliva.

"Does it look like I have been out running after boys? All I done is wandering around camp, doing the chores I can, getting yelled at by Susan. Meanwhile you, out running day and night, it's dreadful waiting sometimes, of course a lady will start to wonder what the hell is taking so long."

"And why you even care about having me around?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Arthur Morgan. You know I like you. As a friend, of course." I quickly add, as I hear him clear his throat once more. I picture in my head how the reddish shade had creeped onto his face.

"F'course. Well, ain't far now so, guess we should set up camp somewhere nearby but, not too near." I nod although he can't see it. The rest of the ride isn't long, like he said. We're setting up camp in the woods. Arthur fixes a campfire as I put up our little tent.

"You sure there ain't no predators around the area?" I ask. Arthur snickers.

"No ma'am, well, at least none that's gonna disturb us if we don't disturb them first, that is."

"Very reassuring, Arthur." I bite my teeth together.

"You ain't scared are you?" I quickly glance over at him sitting against a log before turning back to the tent.

"F'course not, just, wanted to know if I'll be needing to keep dad's gun by my side, s' all."

"Uhuhm. If you say so." I can hear the smirk in his voice but I ignore it. I finish off with my task and then I head over to where Arthur is sitting. He picks up some packed meat and sets it on the ground in front of us.

"Well, let's get to it then." He picks up a branch and easily breaks two sticks off. He hands me one of them, I thankfully take it and load it with the salted pork. We sit in silence as we eat ourselves satisfied. By the end, I'm so full I can barely sit. I wipe my mouth clean with the back of my hand. I look at the few pieces I have left on the stick and groan.

"I can't take anymore of this, please, take it, don't wanna waste it." I say, looking at Arthur.

"You sure?" I nod, and pass the stick to him. He bites into the cooked pork pieces easily and swallows audibly.

"That was good." He says and leans back towards the log. He closes his eyes for a moment before opening them again, looking into the fire. I can't help but stare at his features. The fire has left a layer of sweat on his skin and the few strands of hairs usually framing his face lay slicked onto his forehead. He's beautiful, almost too mesmerising when the flames reflects into his eyes. He meets mine and I quickly look away, despite he won't notice the blush anyway in this light.

"What you looking at me for?" He asks without looking in my direction.

"I- Well you can't blame anyone for taking in the view of something beautiful." He snorts at the same time as he chuckles.

"So, you think I'm beautiful then, is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe."

" _Maybe_." He repeats. "Okay." He pauses. "If I quite do say so myself, you ain't looking too bad, neither, Lilianne.." He finally lays his eyes on me. My lips part slightly.

"That's the first time you've said my real name, Arthur." I almost whisper. His eyes keeps lingering on me, and an odd feeling creeps through my body all of a sudden. I can't seem to keep the eye contact for long and I withdraw my gaze from him, cheeks heating up rapidly. I haven't even noticed how close we're sitting to each other until now, my palms goes sweaty and my heart is rushing inside of my chest. Please, no. Don't let me catch feelings for him, don't let me humiliate myself like that. Looking is alright but feelings however, are not.

"You nervous?" He asks. I swallow.

"N-no I just..." I sigh. Yes. And I don't know why. The slight blush refuses to go away, I truly hope it's unnoticeable. Arthur hums low and looks towards the campfire again.

_How I wish you hadn't changed_. And that's true, I suddenly one day started to pay attention to him, to how his voice had become deeper, body figure becoming more burly, how his boyish face slowly disappeared as it matured. I couldn't contain all these thoughts, there was just something about watching him turn into a young man that changed my perspective on him. Before he was just a loud mouthed, annoying kid, pickpocketing and causing trouble everywhere he went. Now he's just a quiet thinker. Can't deny that it was entertaining hearing him and Dutch argue when he was younger, Hosea had stepped in many times, to calm them both down. Hosea was like the father figure to the whole gang. Smart, stubborn, reliable but still rough around the edges. You didn't know exactly where you had him at all times, but you knew it was going to be somewhere by your side, if that makes any sense. 

The sun had settled a long time ago, and the air had turned colder surprisingly quickly as the night fell. The rest of the evening contained me and Arthur just casually talking until tiredness overtook us both. Right now I'm laying on my bedroll, a thin blanket draped over my body, and I just can not fall asleep. I listen to the wind whining in the trees outside, shivering. Arthur's deep, steady, slow breaths can be heard somewhere in the darkness. I shift back and forth, trying to keep myself warm. I cross my arms close to myself, trying to think of something to distract myself. The only thought that seems to come to mind is when my father and I camped when I was little. I miss him. He was like my best friend, although he didn't always do good. A wolf's distant howl snaps me out of my flashbacks, I rub my eyes and to my surprise the back of my hand goes wet. I hadn't even noticed that I had started crying.

"You alright?" Arthur's low, sleepy voice cuts through the silence.

"No. No I'm not. I-I'm freezing colder than an ice cube.." My teeth clatter as I speak. My voice cracks partly because of the crying.

"S' because you're so thin and fragile. C'mere, I can help ya a little." Hesitantly I move closer to him. He reaches his arms out and I pull myself into his embrace. The heat of his body radiates off his skin, and sends me waves of comfort and warmth. I scoop even closer, his chest hits my back and he wraps his strong arms around me. He pulls the blanket over us both to increase the warmth. His face comes back to rest close to the backside of my neck, I can feel his warm breathing against my skin.

"Y' gonna tell me why you were cryin'?"He asks low. He doesn't push me, he lets me recollect myself until I can answer.

"Father. I- I miss... ...him." Arthur hugs me a little tighter from behind.

"I know. I know.." He tucks a piece of hair behind my left ear. "M' sorry. But you ain't alone, a'right? You have me, Dutch, Hosea, Bessie, Susan, Annabelle. Your grumpy siblings."I nod without words.

"Try gettin' some sleep now, sweetheart, we both gon' need it tomorrow."


End file.
